The Classics IV was a band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, in 1965. The band is often credited for establishing the soft southern rock sound. The band, led by singer Dennis Yost, is known mainly for the hits Spooky, Stormy and Traces, released 1967 to 1969, which have become cover standards. The group began as a Jacksonville cover band consisting of guitarists Buddy Buie, J.R. Cobb, Walter Eaton, keyboardist Joe Wilson, and singer Dennis Yost. Buie (as producer) and Cobb would form The Atlanta Rhythm Section with Candymen drummer Robert Nix (died on May 20, 2012, at the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, at age 67 from complications following surgery in April; he suffered from diabetes and multiple myeloma), also from Jacksonville, and keyboardist Dean Daughtry in 1974. Yost had previously been a member of The Echoes. The name The Classics came from the Classic drum set Yost owned. He was known in the Georgia/Florida area as the stand-up drummer because he played standing up. The Classics played Ventures covers, instrumental versions of Misty and Summertime. People started requesting vocals, so Dennis would say I can sing that, and that was the beginning of the groups new direction. The group began performing vocal hits such as Sherry by The Four Seasons. The band was discovered performing in Daytona Beach by a booking agent who worked for Bill Lowerys operation in Atlanta. Lowery urged the band to relocate to Atlanta and quickly snagged the group a singles deal with Capitol. The Classics debut single was Pollyanna, a song written by another Lowery client, Joe South. Its style was starkly similar to that of the Four Seasons. Shortly after that they received a letter informing them that there was already a recording act named The Classics, who had a single titled Till Then. In an effort to differentiate themselves, Yost and company added IV to the name because there were (at that time) four members. After the Capitol single flopped, Lowery got the group a deal with Imperial Records. Guitarists Cobb and Buie added lyrics to a jazz instrumental titled Spooky, a regional hit for Atlanta saxophonist Mike Sharpe. The single made it to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and #46 in the UK. Drummer Kim Venable was brought in so Yost could move freely out front (Nix had been the drummer on their studio recordings). Daughtry replaced Wilson. The band changed its name to The Classics IV featuring Dennis Yost and enjoyed two more top-10 hits, Stormy (1968, No. 5) and Traces (1969, Hot 100 No. 2, Easy Listening No. 2). Cobb and Buie borrowed heavily from 1936s Everyday With Jesus by Robert C. and Wendell P. Loveless to pen the top 20 follow-up Everyday With You Girl (1969, No. 19). In 1971 Michael Huey became the drummer after working for other Lowery artists Tommy Roe and The Swingin Medallions. During this period Huey also became the staff drummer for Lowery Studios, and later moved to L.A. where he drummed on numerous hit records and tours for Walter Egan, Juice Newton, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, Lindsey Buckingham, Etta James, and more. Spooky, Stormy, and Traces each sold more than one million units, and all were awarded gold discs by the R.I.A.A. Those three hits plus Everyday With You Girl also appeared in the 1977 film The Chicken Chronicles. They changed their name again, to Dennis Yost and the Classics IV, and had one last top 40 hit, What Am I Crying For? (1972, No. 39) on MGM South. Cobb left and was replaced by Bradenton, Fla., guitarist Mack Doss. Dennis Yost was credited as the creator of the Southern Soft Rock sound. He was known as the singers singer and The Classic One because of his smooth, unique voice, and was described as singing with a tear in his voice. He was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1993, an honor he coveted most, because Ray Charles, his favorite singer, was inducted a few years before. On July 11, 2006, Yost fell down a flight of stairs and suffered serious brain trauma. To assist Yost and his wife with their medical bills, a benefit concert was held on March 25, 2007, at Rhinos Live in Cincinnati, Ohio. The benefit was originally conceived by Yosts close friend Jon Bowser Bauman, former vocalist with Sha Na Na. Many musical entertainers and some surprise guests from the 1950s through the 1970s performed some of their biggest chart-topping hits in tribute to Yost. Some of the artists performing that day were Denny Laine (The Moody Blues and Wings), Chuck Negron (previously of Three Dog Night), Ian Mitchell (Bay City Rollers), Pat Upton (Spiral Starecase), Diamond Dave Somerville, The Skyliners, Buzz Cason, Carl Dobkins Jr., Mark Vollman (The Turtles), and Classics IV guitarist Brian Correll. The concert did not significantly benefit Yost or his wife financially, as was hoped; expenses far exceeded the money raised, leaving the event in the red. However, it was a huge boost for Yost to visit with so many old friends. After Dennis accident, he chose Tom Garrett to replace him as lead singer for The Classics IV. The plan was for Dennis to make a few yearly special appearances, and gradually have Tom take over as the leader of the band. However, Dennis was able to perform with them for only one appearance in 2008. Tom and Dennis worked closely together to develop the current lineup. He chose Tom to help him keep The Classics IV music going in the Classics IV tradition. Dennis would listen to the band on recorded CDs, and during that time Tom and Dennis became close friends. The band Dennis chose in 2007 to continue his legacy with The Classics IV trademark consisted of Tom Garrett as lead vocalist, Kevin Lloyd on bass, Tim Ridgeway on drums, Joe Sadler on guitar, Garard Motague III on flute and saxophone, and James Yoder on keyboards. In early 2012, due to health issues Garard Montague III was replaced on saxophone and flute by Paul Weddle. Dennis Yost died at the age of 65 from respiratory failure on December 7, 2008, the 40th anniversary of the entrance of Stormy into the Hot 100s top 10.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 00:37:04 +0000
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